Loving the resurgence of vinyl? We are too! There’s something amazing and intimate about the feel of a physical record and exploring the details of its packaging – not to mention the unique, authentic sound that only vinyl provides.
There are plenty of monthly vinyl subscription options out there, but we’ve found a truly special one: allow us to introduce you to Magnolia Record Club, created by singer-songwriter and frontman of Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Drew Holcomb. We recently spoke with Holcomb about what makes his venture stand out from the pack.
Holcomb was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, with a strong appreciation of good music from an early age. “The gritty do-it-yourself mentality that thrives in Memphis seeped into my own career,” he says. It was his insatiable curiosity for travel coupled with his passion for live music that ultimately propelled him to pursue his own career as an artist and songwriter. Holcomb relied on both passions to help him cope with the tragic loss of his brother at the age of 17 – “Music was the language I used to deal with that loss,” he says.
Magnolia Record Club was inspired in part by his wife’s wedding present to him: a record player. While on their honeymoon, the two began to gather an impressive vinyl collection of all their favorite albums, and continue to add to it along their travels. The name of the company is rooted in their love of Magnolia trees, specifically a particular grove of them in Nashville’s Centennial Park, where the two were engaged.
Magnolia Record Club is unique in that it is artist-driven. Holcomb, an artist himself, personally seeks music (primarily within the Americana genre) that he enjoys listening to and focuses on artists with similar morals and ideals portrayed through their music. He says he tends to start by looking at artists he and his band have toured or worked with, listing releases from The Lumineers (Cleopatra), Penny and
Sparrow (Wendigo), and his band’s double album Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Live At The Ryman. Other notable releases include albums by The Lone Bellow, Jason Isbell & the 400 unit, Chris Stapleton, Lori McKenna, Rhiannon Giddens, Patty Griffin, and more.
“I wanted to create one [record subscription club] that I’d want to be a part of,” Holcomb says, noting his subscribers’ trust in his taste when choosing the monthly releases. He enjoys listening to music on vinyl because it “presses pause” on our age of technology. “You need to stop and listen to it, and pay attention to the narrative of the entire record,” he says. “It’s a way to remind myself of how much music matters.”
The October release will feature Lee Ann Womack‘s new album The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone (Oct. 27), pressed on exclusive smoke-grey vinyl. Holcomb chose this album because “it’s so good, really raw, and she naturally delves into soul and blues in a way I haven’t heard a country artist in her generation do,” he says.
For $25 per month, a subscriber will receive a beautifully packaged album, complete with a personal letter from Holcomb describing his connection to the music he’s selected, as well as an original art print. Future plans for the club include a re-issue of his band’s Christmas album, which will include a new song, as well as plans for potential live session recordings, which would be only available to members of the club.
Subscribe to the Magnolia Record Club here by October 15th in order to receive the exclusive smoke-grey vinyl pressing of Lee Ann Womack’s new album. Enter code SHOTGUN at checkout to receive 15% off and be entered to win a 5 vinyl prize pack!
For more information on the Magnolia Record Club visit their socials: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can catch Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors on tour this fall supporting their recent album Souvenir. For more information visit their website.